With You Till the End and Beyond
by Zero Rae Ryoshi
Summary: This is my story for How I Met Your Mother, featuring my own character Alekai. This story follows several different events that happen, it also follows the vampire-verse of a color collection I am working on. Details are inside. Rated T in general, ratings will vary for each story. Will be marked as complete and will be updated as stories are finished.
1. Chapter 1

White Wolf Fan Fiction Presents:

~With You Till the End and Beyond~

A How I Met Your Mother Collection

* * *

><p><strong>Title:<strong> With You Till the End and Beyond

**Pairing(s):** Barney/Alekai; Marshall/Lily and mentions of past Ted/Robin

**Fandom(s):** How I Met Your Mother

**Disclaimer: **I do not own How I Met Your Mother or its characters; however, I do own Alekai and anyone else not mentioned in the show.

**A/N:** The following belongs to the Vampire-verse story I'd written for my 'Dude, Rainbows are so... Gay!' Color Collection. The following stories are also not connected in any way and are written randomly; stories that are connected will say so in the summary.

-0-

**Words:** 4,105

**Rating:** T+

**Warnings:** Yaoi, hurt/comfort, and angst.

**Summary:** Alekai's parents are coming to visit; he's terrified and Barney is there to save the day, quite literally.

* * *

><p>"Oh man... oh man..." Alekai whimpered, pacing the floor of Barney's living room. He closed his eyes tightly, running his hands constantly through his hair, not needing to see as he knew the place by heart now. "This is not happening..." he continued to mutter, purposefully evading his phone, which sat innocently on the coffee table not even three feet from him.<p>

He was vaguely aware of the running water in the shower, where his lover was currently, leaving him to panic over what he'd only just found out himself. It was just a single text, but it sent Alekai's entire mind reeling and he wasn't even aware his fangs were out from the brief moment of anger that flashed through him.

He made a mad dash to his phone after only another second of thinking and he read the text over and over to make sure he wasn't imagining things.

_'__Hey, Alekai! Your dad and I are flying to New York__today for some business, hope you don't mind if we pop by just to say hello. We haven't seen you since you left all those years ago and we'd like to catch up with you. We'll be there around noon__tomorrow. Hope you don't get into too much trouble until then, love you!' _- Message received from 'Mother' at 8:04 A.M, on Thursday.

"Fuck!" He cursed, throwing his phone down again after re-checking that it was in fact nine in the morning on _Friday_; a day _after_ his parents sent him the message.

"Your fangs are out, babe," Alekai let out a sharp gasp, turning around sharply when he heard the voice; his wide eyes closed when he saw Barney and a sigh escaped him, his fangs retracting automatically.

"Sorry..." he mumbled and opened his eyes to see Barney smirking at him, and Alekai blushed a little when he noticed Barney was shirtless, a towel around his neck. "Um... feel better?" He asked in a pathetic attempt to fill the silence that fell and Barney chuckled, nodding his head as he walked over to Alekai.

"Much," he replied, leaning down to kiss the blonde. "What's wrong?" Barney pulled back to ask, referring back to the 'fang' comment and Alekai frowned, looking away and instead focused on looking at the carpeted floor below them.

"...it's nothing... not really anyway..." he sighed softly and Barney raised an eyebrow in question, waiting patiently for the other to continue. "Um..." Alekai gulped and fidgeted slightly, "my... parents... are coming over to visit."

Barney couldn't help the slight shock that he felt, his eyes widening only a little, before he smirked; curiosity replacing the shock. "Hm, you know, this is the first time you've mentioned them since you came to New York."

Alekai turned a mellow glare towards the other, nearly tearing away from the 'hug'. "That's because we haven't spoken since I left home," he bit out, his fangs baring again as he seethed in anger once more, running his hands through his hair in more panic. "This is a nightmare," he groaned and Barney gave a fond smile, reaching out and he tugged Alekai back into a hug, kissing the top of his head and running his own fingers through the blonde's hair, smoothing it out and he barely noticed a soft purr from the younger man.

"Come on, babe, it can't be that bad," he cooed and Alekai scoffed, though he didn't pull away and instead wrapped his arms around Barney as he buried his head in the other's chest. When he spoke, Barney shivered slightly as he felt Alekai's warm breath puff against his skin.

"My mother is the meanest vampire you'll ever meet, Barney..." he said and Barney chuckled.

"Well, even so, I plan to leave a very good impression on them when they come here. We'll make them dinner and have a nice long, peaceful conversation with them. How does that sound?" He asked softly and Alekai tensed, sucking in a sharp breath, worrying Barney just a little. "Love...?" He frowned when Alekai pulled away from him, shaking his head sharply.

"N-no... no, they can't... you can't..." he stumbled over his words and pure terror coursed through his veins. "Barney..." he whispered, looking up when Barney tried to comfort him, "they don't even know I'm _gay_, let alone that I have a boyfriend..."

"Look, love, it'll be fine." Barney gave Alekai an encouraging smile, putting away his phone. "I just texted everyone and told them what's up. They'll be joining us with dinner, so you don't feel so strange around your parents, alright?" Alekai couldn't help the relieved smile he sent back to Barney, though he was still tense.

"But... what _are_ we going to do about dinner? We... we don't have anything here, do we?" Alekai asked, frowning as he knew his parents wouldn't want their first visit with their son in years to be over a meal at some restaurant, no matter how fancy said restaurant was.

"Just leave that to me, okay, babe?" Alekai frowned, but he gave a reluctant nod before Barney sat down next to him, pulling him into his lap and the human placed a light kiss to Alekai's shoulder; they had a few minutes to relax, anyway, and Barney was going to use those few minutes as well as he could while he could.

* * *

><p>By the time everything was nearly ready, Alekai was a nervous wreck and not even Lily could calm him down at this point. Which is saying a lot.<p>

"No, no... no, no, no..." Alekai whimpered, shaking his head sharply. "You guys really don't understand...!" He whined, desperate to get his point across. "They're not like us... they don't... they can't..." he winced sharply and Robin sighed, placing her hands on Alekai's shoulders before hissing at him, stern, her fangs out in frustration.

"Come on, spit it out already, Alek!" She groaned and he stiffened, closing his eyes.

"My parents..." he began slowly, just a tad bit frightened of Robin when she gets like this, "don't like... people..." he said, kind of vague and he winced again when Marshall questioned his words.

"Do you mean they're anti-social or something?" He asked and Alekai whimpered.

"If only that was it..." he opened his eyes, frowning, looking at his friends, purposely avoiding his lover's gaze when Barney entered the room from the kitchen, his hands holding a small washrag which he used to dry them. "No... they..." he sighed and lowered his head, ashamed, deciding to just get it out already, "They _hate_ humans..." he muttered and before anyone could say anything, he continued. "They're old fashioned, and they believe in a society where vampire's rule over humans, seeing them as weak and pathetic; as prey for the predators. When they feed... they don't feed on animals or artificial packets like I used to... they find any human they can get their hands on and..." he shook with this last part, "and... they... they_ drain them dry_..." he hissed out.

He heard Lily and Ted's horrified gasps and flinched when he, barely, heard Marshall clamp a hand over his mouth. Robin stared at him in shock and Barney... he had an unreadable expression on his face, one Alekai couldn't get light on no matter how hard he tried; not that he tried hard anyway, unable to hold his lover's gaze for more than a second.

"And you're worried they'll go after us?" Barney said, finally and Alekai heard the underlying _'after me?'_ that was hidden in his words.

Alekai nodded though, sighing and he ran his hands over his face and through his hair again. "Y-yeah." He kept his head lowered when he heard footsteps coming towards him and Robin.

"They're your parents, though, Alekai, and we're your friends..." Robin said, a little uneasy, though she clearly had no reason to worry, being a fellow vampire and all.

"That wouldn't matter to them... not to my mother, anyway..." Alekai said bitterly before gasping as he felt a rough hand on his shoulder, pulling him away from Robin and towards the other person. He looked up, suddenly frightened as he stared into Barney's eyes. "B-Barney..." He whispered, his mouth suddenly going dry.

"You shouldn't worry." Barney said, sharp and deep and stern, and Alekai's eyes widen just a little, going completely silent. "Do you know why?" Alekai frowned and shook his head, "Because you're here to protect us... both you and Robin." Barney's voice got soft then and Alekai wanted to look away, away from the eyes that bore into his soul, but before he could do anything, Barney leaned down and kissed him.

And just like that, the mood was suddenly brighter. At least... until the doorbell rang.

* * *

><p>Alekai's breath quickened and he feared he would end up having a panic attack, though he mustered up enough courage to open the door just as all his friends stood, awaiting the disaster that was inevitably going to happen. "M-Mother... Father..." he squeaked out, clearing his throat when he did, looking at the two tall vampires that now stood in the entrance of the home.<p>

The man, Jonathon James, had light colored hair and green eyes like Alekai's own. He was also in a very expensive black suit and Alekai made a small joke inside his head how his father's tastes matched his boyfriend's almost exactly. His expression, though, bordered on formal and fond, when he laid eyes on his son.

The woman, Veronica James, who was a little shorter than the man, had dark colored hair, tied in a long ponytail, and vivid blue eyes with darker red specks than her son and husband; a constant reminder to Alekai that she's drank more blood from humans than either of them have. She wore a beautiful blue dress that went a little passed her knees and knee-high leather boots.

"Alekai, darling! It's so good to see you again!" She cooed, smiling and Alekai tensed when her gaze flicked to his friends before landing back on him. "Well, aren't you going to invite us in?" She teased, flashing her fangs at the old cliché, and Alekai let out a weary chuckle, standing aside and letting them both in; his smile was a little more genuine to his father, who smiled back at him, ruffling his hair fondly.

"Hey kiddo, it's been a while." He said, in a voice that was soft but held a certain authority to it.

Alekai let out a relived sigh and nodded, hugging his father when he was allowed. "Yeah, it has, Father, hasn't it?" He replied before turning to his mother when she spoke.

"My, how thoughtful of you, Alekai," she purred and Alekai tensed again, fear coursing through him, "you brought us some snacks."

"Now, love, don't be like that," Jonathon started and then sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose when she shifted over to Barney, who stood straight and tense, his gaze never leaving hers.

"And aren't you a handsome one?" She smirked, her fangs very visible and Alekai felt his chest tighten. "Yes, you're the perfect little snack, aren't you?" Alek growled low in his throat, and his eyes narrowed sharply, his fangs coming out and his hands clenched, when he saw his mother touch Barney's cheek, running her fingers down to his throat. He snapped when he saw a hint of fear in his lover's eyes and he jumped between them before anyone could even blink.

"_Don't touch him_...!" He growled darkly, shocking most everyone in the room, aside from Robin, Barney, and his father.

"Alekai, what in the world has gotten into you?" Veronica chided and Alekai's glare only darkened, continuing to growl, causing his mother to back away a few steps, never having seen her son like this before. Even Barney was a little surprised now from the sheer possessiveness in the blonde's tense state.

"You can't have them! You can't have _him_...!" He seethed, still tense, though his tone became a little less dark and he stopped growling at her. "They're my friends and I won't let you touch them, you got it?" It wasn't really a question, but she nodded anyway, more than surprised.

"Alright, kid, you have our word." He sent a very grateful smile to his father before sighing, relaxing further, still extremely tense.

"Um... now... Mother, Father... these are my friends, Ted, Lily, Marshall, Robin, and... and Barney..." his tone became a little shaky when he said Barney's name, though he didn't dare look up into his lover's eyes, afraid what he would see. "Guys... this is my mother, Veronica, and my father, Jonathon." He finished the introductions and added in a slightly smaller voice. "Mother, Father... my friends are going to be joining us for... for dinner..."

"Delightful," Veronica stated, though the cheer in her voice was clearly faked and Alekai barely held in the wince from her tone.

* * *

><p>The dinner consisted of ham, mashed potatoes, sweet corn, green beans, rolls and butter, macaroni, and only the finest wine that Barney could buy. It all smelled incredible and it tasted even more so.<p>

The talk at the table was tense, but it flowed nicely; of course it helped having several people eating with you, instead of only three or four.

"So tell us, darling, where do you work now?" Veronica asked and Alekai felt a small sense of both fear and pride well up in him when she asked this.

"Uh, I work in a children's museum. I uh... I manage the exhibits and take care of new employees, showing them the ropes and how everything works in the museum." He explained, sounding very proud of it and he caught a smile on Barney's face when he did and couldn't help but blush a little.

"Is that right?" Jonathon smirked, sipping some of the wine. "I always did remember you going on and on about history and whatnot, almost figured you'd go for a teacher instead. I'm proud of you, though, son, you've come a long way since you were just a pup." He chuckled and Alekai's blush only darkened, a little embarrassed.

"Well, I did want to be a teacher, but then decided I'd rather not deal with hormonal teenagers all day." He chose not to add that he basically dealt with that all the time from Barney, figuring it wouldn't make for very good conversation.

"Oh, this wine is absolutely divine, darling," Veronica licked her lips, her tongue going over her fangs and she seemed pleased when it caused some of his friends to squirm, mainly Marshall though. Alekai huffed slightly and shrugged to what she said.

"It's alright... I'm not really a wine kind of person... that's all Barney, um... actually, he's the one that made this food." He chirped and Veronica looked a little shocked while Jonathon merely smirked wider, enjoying the look on his wife's face. She never did deal well with humans being equal to vampires.

"Yes, well, thank you... Barney." She said, a little sharp and Barney only nodded, not bothering with answering her, infuriating her further.

Jonathon decided to change the subject before she ended up hurting someone and he turned his entire attention back to Alekai, "So, Alek, do you have a girlfriend yet?" In an instant, Alekai both tensed and nearly choked on his ham. He panicked and lifted his gaze to his father, eyes a little wide.

"W-what!?" He squeaked and Jonathon laughed.

"Oh come on, don't tell me you don't!" His laughter was loud and nearly contagious, as his friends started joining in with little chuckles, though fortunately, Barney stayed quiet. Unfortunately, Barney's attention was focused solely on him. "At least tell me you've gotten laid." Alekai's face bloomed red from the tips of his ears to his neck in one second flat and he coughed, dropping his fork entirely.

"Father!" He shouted and his friends really did laugh at him this time.

"Well, boy?" Jonathon grinned sharply and Alek whimpered, shrinking in his seat, hoping the floor would open up and swallow him whole and end this embarrassment.

"Yeah _Alekai_," Ted said, teasingly and Alekai growled, kicking him under the table, ignoring his shout of 'ow'.

"I-I really don't see how that's appropriate conversation material for this table... especially with my friends around." He strained and Jonathon laughed again.

"Just catching up, kid, that's all. Nothing to be ashamed of, I'm sure." He prodded and Alekai closed his eyes tightly.

"Oh? Is it possible that you and the lovely miss Robin are-"

"NO!" Alekai nearly exploded, blushing even darker at his outburst. "No! God no...! Robin and I are... we're just friends!" He shivered a little in show and only barely managed a grin when Robin shot him a mock-hurt look, though he could see she was fighting to keep a grin off her face too.

"Alekai..." Barney whispered, placing a hand on his from under the table and Alekai looked down at his plate, closing his eyes for a moment or two.

It was only a few minutes of silence later when Alekai sighed and looked at his friends, nodding his head slightly, a weary frown on his face.

"Um... thanks for the dinner... Barney." Ted said, catching the hint first and he stood up, grabbing his plate. "We'll be leaving now," he shot a look to the other three and they nodded too, muttering their thanks and whatnot, putting their plates in the sink before leaving with a small goodbye to Alekai and Barney.

"Mother... Father..." Alekai started, earning their confused attention. "I... I have something I have to tell you... and... I've been meaning to tell you for a while..." he glanced up slightly at his parents and they both looked at him and he was about to continue until he saw his mother turn to Barney, who still sat at the table beside Alekai.

"Well, go on then, I do believe our son said he wanted to talk to us," she said, curt and sharp, and it was clear she was very pissed at him. Barney only frowned until she added, "_privately_," and he made to stand up.

Alekai panicked, beginning to hyperventilate now and he shot his hand out to grab Barney's arm, though he refused to meet his gaze. "_Stay_." He pleaded, barely getting the word out in between his gasps for breath, and Barney nearly felt his heart break from the sound of his voice and the general look of him, so small and frightened and he couldn't help but grab Alekai's hand in his own, reaching out with his free hand and rubbing circles on his back, kneeling beside his lover as he tried to calm him down.

"Alekai?" His father's voice reached his ears and his head shot up, suddenly aware of everything and he gulped, feeling ten times more scared than he'd ever been; it was worse knowing that at least one of his parents was going to go ballistic with the news he was going to tell them. And he hoped to whatever god out there that it wasn't going to be his father.

"I... I need to tell you guy's something that I... I probably should've told you years ago..." he squeaked out, trying to keep his voice steady, but failing so bad. He was a little comforted, knowing his lover was with him, sitting right beside him, and wasn't going anywhere. "I... I'm g-gay..." he closed his eyes immediately upon saying this and he tried blurting out the rest of his sentence, but didn't get very far when his mother's sickeningly sweet voice filled his ears.

"Oh sweetie, you know that just can't be." She said and Alekai shot his head up, staring at his mother with an unreadable expression. "You're just confused and all, that's it. Once you find yourself a lovely little miss to settle down with you'll see."

"No! Mother! You're not listening!" He shouted, standing up all of a sudden, snapping and he glared darkly at her. "I'm gay! I like guys! And not only do I only like them they're the only one's I'll have... have sex with! So don't you dare try to tell me I'm confused because I damn well know what I want when I already have an incredibly boyfriend whom I love very much!" Strangely enough, only his mother and Barney seemed to be shocked by the outburst, while his father only smirked once more at him. But he paid no mind when he saw his mother stand up, her lips pulled back in a snarl and her fangs glinting in the light of the dining room.

"That is no way to talk to your mother, Alekai Tyler James," she seethed and then she froze all of a sudden, her eyes wide before they narrowed and she turned her dark glare towards Barney. "I knew it! I fucking knew it!" She hissed, baring her fangs and Alekai flinched back, eyes becoming wide now as well. "You're the one who's corrupted my son!"

Barney turned a calm expression to her own and frowned, "I'm sorry ma'am, but I haven't corrupted anyone." He said and Alekai would have made a smart-ass remark about it if he wasn't so damn scared.

"You filthy vile lying son of a bitch! You humans are all the same, I swear, and don't think I hadn't noticed that mark on your neck." She seethed and turned back towards Alekai then, seeming to switch gears all of a sudden. "Now I get why you were so possessive of that pathetic human when I barely even _touched_ him. You're sick, Alekai James." Alekai flinched back hard, tears coming to his eyes and Jonathon chose that moment to stand up, grabbing his wife's arm.

"Veronica, that's enough." He said, an order and Veronica hissed at him, though she relented, glaring at the two before them.

When they made to leave, Alekai stayed where he was, not bothering to show them to the door now. He broke when she passed him, whispering darkly into his ear, "That little toy of yours won't last forever, you'll see. And when he's gone, don't you think about running on home, crying for us." She seethed, walking passed and out the door, with Jonathon in tow.

When the door closed, Alekai fell to the floor, tears falling freely. Barney got to the floor with him, pulling the smaller man into his arms and murmuring sweet nothings to him.

* * *

><p><em>'<em>_Hey kiddo, I'm sorry about your mother. You know how she gets when she hasn't... fed... in a while. I love you, I hope you know that.'_ - Message received from 'Father' at 9:37 P.M.

Alekai sniffled, looking at his phone as he lay in bed with his lover, smiling a little when he saw the message.

_'__Yeah, I know... I love you too, Father.'_ He typed before adding a second message. _'Are you mad...?'_

He dreaded the answer he would get, but was momentarily distracted when his lover leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Hey, babe, who're you texting?" Barney asked, soft and quiet.

"My father..." Alekai whispered, getting a text back.

_'__No, I'm not. But do you want to know a secret? I always knew you were different, but in a good way. And you know I love you know matter what.'_ - Message received from 'Father' at 9:40 P.M.

He smiled before getting another text from him.

_'__You picked a good man, I can tell. But you better tell that boy that if he ever hurts my little pup he's going to end up with a bullet in his dick.'_ - Message received from 'Father' at 9:41 P.M.

"What's he saying?" Barney pouted when Alekai laughed from the message he read and when he took his phone, reading the texts, he couldn't help but laugh a little as well. "Huh, duly noted, sir." He muttered, though it was really for no one. He then sighed and handed the phone back to Alekai, shifting so he could kiss him on the mouth. "You... you know I would never hurt you, right?" He asked and Alek smiled, nodding his head.

"Yeah, I know."

"Good... because I love you and I won't let anything happen to you. Alekai, love, I'm with you till the end and beyond," he said, only slightly teasing, but completely honest with his words and his feelings.

Alekai chuckled and only hummed in answer, hiding a yawn and Barney smiled, resting his forehead against Alekai's own as he watched the blonde send one last message.

_'__Thank you...'_

* * *

><p>Next story will be posted tomorrow if I remember to do so. *grins*<p>

~The White Wolf, Zero


	2. Chapter 2

**Words:** 2,950

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Yaoi, hurt/comfort, and fluff.

**Summary:** Alekai has to leave New York for a few months and Barney doesn't take it as well as he thought he would.

* * *

><p>Alekai re-read the letter in his hands, unsure on how to feel; he was torn between feeling ecstatic and feeling upset. This letter, he knew, was a once in a lifetime chance for him to go to Italy to meet with people who managed one of the <em>greatest<em> history museums in the world. Although... it also meant that he wouldn't be seeing any of his friends for an entire three months.

He took a deep breath before sending a quick text to all his friends, telling them to meet at the usual place.

Alekai puffed out a heavy breath, shivering slightly from the cold, as he entered MacLaren's Pub, his friend's favorite hangout. He smiled when he spotted his friend's, minus Barney, at their usual booth and he walked over, accepting the cool water from Robin as he sat down. "Hey guys," he sighed, "thanks for coming."

"What's up, Alek?" Ted questioned, frowning as he looked at the others. "Uh... where's Barney?"

Alekai squirmed a little in his seat, looking down at his glass. "He's... he's not coming." He managed, knowing in his head that Barney was probably sleeping by now, having spent two days in a row without a single hour of sleep.

"Alekai?" Lily sent him a worried glance and he ran his fingers through his hair, sweeping it from his eyes.

"I have something to tell you guys..." he muttered, still not sure whether this letter was a good thing or not.

"You're not breaking up with Barney, are you?" Marshall asked and Alekai's head shot up, his eyes wide before they narrow.

"What!? No! Are you insane!? I'd never break up with him!" He shouted, pent up tension being released and he only slightly blushed in embarrassment when Ted and Marshall stared at him in shock and Robin and Lily laughed at the outburst. Alekai groaned and shook his head sharply. "No... you guys... I'm leaving." He said, his voice lowering now.

"What!?" He flinched from the loudness of the shout, all of his friend's having spoken at the same time and he let his head fall onto the table with a groan.

"Alekai! What the hell? Why are you leaving?" Ted questioned, setting down his beer so he could gesture with his hands.

Alekai lifted his head and rubbed his forehead with the palm of his hand before digging out the letter and he put it in the middle of the table for the others, Lily being the one to grab it first. "Dear Mr. Alekai James, we send this letter to inform you that you are taking a trip to... _Italy_!?" Lily stared, wide eyed before turning to Alekai with a frown.

Alekai was definitely feeling guilty now. "Look, I was offered a trip to Italy by some people who manage one of the greatest history museums in the world and I _promise_ you it's only for a few months and it's kind of a once in a life time chance to do this..." he trailed, shrugging slightly and Marshall frowned, taking the letter and reading it over himself.

"Alek, this is a pretty big thing... are you sure you want to be doing this? I mean, they may end up offering you a real job there." He said, knowing from experience and Alekai whimpered, smoothing down his hair in harsh swipes, his fangs bared in frustration.

"I know, I know! But... how can I not?" He asked, looking up at the others.

"Well, I say you go for it," Ted grinned a little, shrugging. "If it's a once in a lifetime chance, you may as well. You never know what may happen anyway, if you don't." Alekai sighed and nodded, looking back down at his water, frowning still. It was a long silence before anyone spoke again.

"Barney doesn't know yet, does he?" Alekai winced and felt his chest tighten as he shook his head, looking up at Robin.

"N-no... he doesn't." He whimpered and Lily shook her head gently.

"You need to tell him, Alekai," she said, soft and motherly and Alekai sighed once more.

"I... I know..."

* * *

><p>Barney sighed happily, carding his fingers through Alekai's hair, both sitting on their couch, watching some pointless show about a group of friends and their comedic lives. "There was a party at work today," he half-smiled, half-smirked and Alekai chuckled, though it was a little off. Everything he's done with Barney has been since he got the letter.<p>

"Did you have fun?" The vampire asked, soft and with a fond smile. It's been two weeks since he'd gotten it and he still hasn't told his lover he's leaving. And the thing is, he's only got two days left before he does have to leave for Italy.

Barney laughed and his smirk only grew, "You should've seen it, babe! Carlton's going to be washing glitter from his hair for a week!"

Alekai barely managed a giggle, giving a soft sigh and he rested his head on Barney's chest. "You really shouldn't do that to people," he said, absent-minded and Barney blinked, frowning slightly, his hand pausing its movements and Alekai only managed to make a whimper of protest.

Barney was silent for a moment and Alekai feared he'd let the cat out of the bag too soon with how he's been acting, but he got lucky, somehow. "What's wrong, Alekai?" Barney asked, a little worried and Alekai wiped away all the guilt he felt before looking up at Barney, kissing him softly.

"Nothing's wrong, I've just been a bit... tired... recently. Work and all..." he managed to hide a wince, though he knew it wasn't a complete lie.

Barney smiled though, apparently buying the lie for now and he chuckled. "Want to head to bed, then?" Alekai nodded a little and sat up, watching Barney get up and walk to the bedroom. He decided to wait a few moments, cooling down his nerves, before walking to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

He hoped he would be able to tell Barney about everything soon, if not… he really didn't know what he was going to do.

* * *

><p>Alekai yawned, walking into his and Barney's home, after a long day at work. It was another day of grand tours for kids at near-by schools and lecturing newbie's who were going to work with Darren in the pre-historic exhibits and for Amber in the Egyptian exhibits.<p>

He was ready to just lay down on the bed with Barney and watch a movie until he fell asleep.

Setting down his keys and hanging up his jacket and hat, he froze when he saw Barney, sitting on the couch, with his letter in his hands. Well, so much for relaxing with his lover now…

"B-Barney-" he tried to start, but Barney cut him off, not even looking at him.

"When were you going to tell me?" Barney asked and just like that, Alekai's heart broke. He couldn't say anything though, it was too much, to see Barney like this. "Two weeks and you haven't said a word about this fucking trip to me, _your lover_." He finally looked up at Alekai and the vampire stiffened up, taking in a sharp breath.

"I-I was… I-I really was going to… to tell you…" Alekai whispered and Barney frowned, standing up.

"When, tonight? Tomorrow? The minute you have to leave? Or were you actually just going to up and leave without saying a thing? Maybe leave me asleep in the bed while you snuck out to the airport, without even so much as a _goodbye_." Barney stalked over to Alekai and the smaller male shook his head sharply. "Was that what you were going to do, Alekai?!"

"N-no!" Alekai shouted, clenching his fists and closing his eyes, lowering his head. "N-no… I swear I wasn't…"

"Alekai…" Barney pleaded with his name and the vampire raised his head, looking into Barney's eyes. This was the moment of truth, he supposed.

"I… I didn't know if I was going to go or not. I…" he sighed and shook his head again, "I don't want to leave you, but this is a once in a lifetime chance for me to do something great. I was offered a chance to step up in life and the answer should be as easy as pie, but the thing is… it's not and I… I don't know what I'm going to do." He finished in a whisper and Barney frowned.

"Then… if it really means that much to you… you should go." His shoulders slumped a little and Alekai looked down, "I'm sorry I said what I did…"

"No," Alekai interrupted, eyes closed once more, "you're right. I should've told you the second I got the letter… but Barney, there's something you should know." He didn't give the other a chance to answer as he leaned up and kissed him, pulling back after only a second and offering a shaky smile. "You mean so much more to me than some s-stupid museum in… in Italy…" he finished, only slightly stumbling over his words and he winced from the loudness of Barney's laugh.

"Imagine that! You turning down a chance to go to Italy for me," Barney smiled and hugged Alekai, "thank you…" he whispered back.

* * *

><p>"I'm going to work," Alekai smiled, leaning down and kissing Barney, who sat comfortably on the couch. Barney kissed him back with a smirk, though any idiot could tell it was off.<p>

Before Alekai had a chance to say anything though, Barney spoke up, "Okay, babe," he chuckled and looked back to the tv, "I'm picking you up tonight, so be ready to leave a bit earlier than usual."

Alekai blinked in surprise and tilted his head, "Why?"

"I have a surprise for you, is all," now Barney's smirk was a bit more genuine, but it still hid something that Alekai couldn't figure out. "Have fun, and do tell the others I said hi."

"Y-yeah, okay…"

* * *

><p>Casting a nervous glance to the clock, Alekai frowned as he grabbed his jacket, leaving his little office. All day he could barely concentrate, his mind was filled with so many thoughts; including the trip he'd declined, that would never go away it seemed, and what kind of surprise Barney could possibly have in mind.<p>

"Hey man, you leaving early tonight?" Darren grinned at him and Alekai nodded, smiling a little.

"Yeah, Barney has something planned, I guess…" he let out a breathy chuckle and squeaked when Darren clapped him on the shoulder.

"Ah, I see," a wink and a grin was all he needed to push the perverted paleontologist away.

"I-it's not that kind of surprise!" He huffed before frowning, "I think…" he added, now just a tiny bit more confused.

"Oh, well, anyway," Darren pulled something from his bag and Alekai blinked in surprise, "from me and Amber, just as a little 'good luck' kind of thing." He flashed another toothy grin as Alekai took the box before turning away and waving. "See ya, Alek, and have fun, will you?"

When Alekai looked up to ask what was going on, Darren was already gone. "I don't… understand…" he mumbled, suddenly so much more lost than before. He decided to not worry so much about it and grabbed out his phone, sending a quick text to Barney. _'Hey, I'm leaving work now… mind telling me what's going on? Darren just acted like I was leaving for good or something… it was a little worrying.'_

He didn't have to wait long for a text back, nearly at the entrance to the museum. _'Perfect timing babe, I'm pulling up to the museum now. Don't worry about him; I'm sure it's nothing. Anyway, don't you know anything about surprises? Just relax and let me take care of everything.'_ - Message received from 'Baby' at 9:06 P.M.

Alekai couldn't help but roll his eyes with a fond smile when he saw the contact name. He didn't bother replying and only pocketed his phone, gripping the box tightly as he walked out the doors and into the cool night air.

"Hey babe, ready to go?" Barney smiled at him when he walked to his car and Alekai nodded a bit shakily, unsure.

"Uh… yeah," he sighed, getting in and buckling up. "Where… where are we going?" He asked, unable to help himself. Barney just threw him a fixed smirk and drove, not answering him. Alekai looked behind them and frowned, "Well, I can eliminate one of the options… not home." He muttered, a bit glumly, to his self.

For the most part, the car ride was unusually silent, aside from Alekai trying to guess where they were going. Eventually Alekai just stopped talking and instead focused on the box Darren gave him. After fiddling with the stupid latch, he opened it and gasped with what was inside: a picture frame with him, Darren, and Amber smiling like idiots with a bunch of various items from the museum gift shop.

Underneath there was a small letter with pretty calligraphy written on it, Amber's handwriting. 'Have fun in Italy, Alekai! Try not to forget about us, okay?'

Wait… what?

"I-Italy!?" Alekai choked, looking up at Barney, who was currently staring at the road and not looking at him. "My friends think I'm taking the trip to Italy…" he frowned then, "but… I told them I wasn't going. I told everyone… I wasn't… going…" he trailed and finally decided to look at the signs on the road, his eyes widening when he saw the sign that said 'airport ahead'. "B-Barney…?" He looked to Barney again, watching the man sigh with a frown.

"I knew I shouldn't have told them anything…" he said and Alekai opened his mouth to say something, but he wasn't able to. "Look, I know you said you weren't going, but I spent all night thinking about it and Robin wouldn't stop calling me an idiot last night," Alekai saw a little quirk of Barney's lips, but he didn't feel like he could offer a smile, even with that.

"But-"

"Don't say anything, Alekai, let me finish." Alekai decided to keep quiet then; knowing something stupid would come out of his mouth and ruin everything if he spoke, now. "You've wanted to go to Italy for years now, I know you have, and this is a once in a lifetime chance to go. And I'll be damned if I'm the one keeping you from doing something like this. And before you go and say anything stupid and mushy," Alekai did smile at that, blushing a little, "just know that the whole reason I'm doing this is _because_ you mean everything to me and I won't stand to see you so upset over something like this. So… you're going and I'm not letting you leave the airport unless it's on a plane to Italy."

Alekai was silent for a few minutes, and Barney was beginning to feel a little like an ass, before he nodded slowly, "o-okay…" he whispered, looking down. Alekai sighed and looked up at Barney with a small smile. "Okay. I-I'll go…"

However Barney wasn't feeling any different than he did a few minutes ago, in fact he felt just a tiny bit worse. "Okay." He repeated, clearing his throat. "Good. That's… that's good."

* * *

><p>Barney grabbed Alekai's bag from the trunk of his car and walked with his lover inside, despite feeling just a tiny bit sick when he did. He walked to the front desks and offered a charming smile to the lady at it, watching as she smiled back and blushed. "One ticket to Italy for Alekai James, please." He said, in a formal tone and she nodded, looking at her computer and typing a few things before blinking in what looked like surprise.<p>

"Excuse me, sir, would your name happen to be Barney Stinson?" She asked and Barney frowned, though he nodded.

"Yeah," he answered, casting a quick glance to Alekai, who shrugged, looking about as confused as he felt.

"I have orders from… someone…" she sighed, "to give you these," she pulled out a bag from behind the counter and two tickets, "and tell you specifically," she cleared her throat, "'Have you met Italy?'"

Barney's jaw dropped, unable to believe it. Two tickets with his and Alekai's names on them to Italy _and_ his bag, packed with everything he would need for a trip. It was then that he grinned and turned to Alekai, who looked like he was going to burst with happiness. Immediately he dropped Alekai's bag and picked the other up, spinning him around as he laughed; Alekai grinned, wrapping his arms around his neck and his legs around his waist as he did. "We're going to Italy, Alekai!" Barney said and Alekai kissed him.

"I… I can't believe it…" Alekai whispered, tears spilling and Barney only kissed him again in answer.

Unbeknownst to the two, Ted and Robin were watching them from behind one of the desks. "See? I told you this would all work out." Ted grinned at her and Robin sighed, though she had a smile on her face.

"Yeah, well, I just hope you know you owe me and Lily." She said, warningly and Ted chuckled nervously, nodding his head in answer.

"Y-yeah, I know…" he said shakily and she smirked, nodding her head before walking away.

"Good," she cast one last glance behind her to see Barney and Alekai walking, hand in hand, to one of the planes and she smiled. "Have fun, you two." She whispered, to herself, smirking once more at Ted, who only answered with another grin as he followed her out of the airport.

* * *

><p>Same as last time, next story will be posted tomorrow if I remember.<p>

~The White Wolf, Zero


	3. Chapter 3

**Words:** 3,605

**Rating:** T+

**Warnings:** Yaoi, fluff, sexual references, and costumes.

**Summary:** Alekai loses a bet with his boyfriend and he's not very happy about it.

* * *

><p>The gang was hanging out at their favorite bar again, each having a different drink than the other; Alekai with a glass of ice water in his hands, Barney with a glass of red wine, Ted with a bottle of traditional beer, Robin with some questionable-looking 'rum', Marshall with a glass of what looked like regular beer but wasn't according to him, and Lily with a couple shots of vodka.<p>

Alekai smiled and cut into the messy and loud conversation around him, taking a sip of his water, "So, what are you guys doing for Halloween?" He asked and just like that all eyes were on him.

"I'm spending the holiday at work," Robin started, rolling her eyes, "my boss wants me there for the party taking place."

"Oh, cool," Ted grinned lightly, drinking from his bottle, "want me to come along? I'm not doing anything this Halloween anyway," he shrugged and Robin smirked at him, making him blush a little. It was still a running joke with the group about Ted's crush on Robin, even though he was over it by now; but no one could resist teasing him about it.

"What are you going to go as?" Alekai asked them, saving Ted the embarrassment, and Ted shot him a look of relief while Robin and Lily laughed; Barney was smirking on the side while Marshall was clearly too drunk to pay attention.

"My boss wanting me to go as something… traditional, like a mummy or a _vampire_." Everyone laughed at that as she made a small show of flashing her fangs when she said the word. "But I told him I'd rather pick my outfit myself, so I'm going as a witch this Halloween. I already have the costume picked out and everything."

"I'm probably going to go as a zombie," Ted grinned and Alekai grimaced, Lily groaning in frustration.

"Ted, that's what you tried to go as last year, but remember what happened?" She asked, grimacing now too and Ted frowned.

"It wasn't my fault that guy was on drugs and thought I was an actual zombie…" he muttered, pouting and Alekai shook his head.

"I remember that story," he sighed dramatically, though his eyes showed slight concern, "you spent a week in the hospital after that incident."

"So… no zombie?" Ted shrugged a little and Barney laughed.

"Dude, go as a freaking zombie, who gives a fuck?" He smirked and raised his glass to his lips, "Just don't go biting drunkard's heads off again." Ted glared at him and only Robin and Marshall laughed at the two. Alekai just sighed and flicked Barney behind his ear, smirking secretly when he hissed in surprise and muttered a small 'ow'.

Lily rolled her eyes and smiled, "I'm going as a cat, this year. They had some really good costumes for cheap, so I went ahead and got one." She beamed and took another shot of vodka, "And let's just say I look fantastic in it!"

"What are you going as Barney?" Marshall slurred, tilting his head to the side drunkenly and Barney snickered, setting down his glass of wine.

"Me?" He made a show of looking thoughtful, "Oh I don't know, I'm too _sexy_ for all the costumes out there," Alekai scoffed at this, and Barney trailed to glance at him with a slight look of mock-hurt. "Are you, my _boyfriend_, trying to imply that I am _not_ sexy?"

"I never said you weren't," Alekai muttered, rolling his eyes and Barney smirked.

"Well, if you had, you'd be countering exactly what you said _last night_," at this Alekai's face bloomed a bright red and he snapped his gaze over to Barney and then away from the others entirely when Robin, Ted, and Lily all laughed. "Anyway, Alekai had actually picked my costume himself, so I don't know what it is, to be honest."

"And you're not gonna know until Halloween," Alekai huffed, crossing his arms, and Barney chuckled.

"Aw, babe, don't be like that; you know I'm just messing around with you, right?" Alekai only gave a small noise in answer before turning his attention to Robin.

"Do you have a costume yet, Alekai?" She asked in earnest curiosity and Alekai sighed, shrugging.

"No," he said, "I'm not much into Halloween… besides, all the costumes that would fit me are either for women or for teenage boys with serious hero issues." He groaned and shook his head. "I just don't know if Halloween is for me."

"Why not?" Lily asked, curious and Alekai grimaced, drinking the rest of his water.

"Let's just say my mother ended up ruining the spirit of Halloween for me," he muttered.

Thankfully Robin changed the subject, "Hey, did you know there are more haunted houses in the area this year than there were last year?" She smirked when Lily butt in.

"Yeah, people are going all out this year for some reason. Apparently though it's for some sort of big-wig thingy for richies, or something," she shrugged and Alekai blinked in surprise.

"You mean… people actually do that here: the whole dressing up a house and scaring people?" He asked and his friends stared at him like he was crazy.

"Have you been living under a rock this entire time, Alek?" Ted questioned and Alekai blushed, looking down.

"I… I guess so. It's just, the last time I'd celebrated Halloween was when I was a kid, and since then I don't really pay much attention to it," he sighed and Barney smirked then, the one smirk that said he got an idea that may or may not turn out 'legend-wait for it-dary'. "…what?" Alekai asked, wary and Barney's smirk widened.

"There are four haunted houses around where we live, which means hundreds of people to scare even before Halloween. How about we take a trip there, all of us together, before we have to go our separate ways for the holiday?" He grinned and Ted smiled.

"That actually doesn't sound half bad, Barney," he agreed and Robin chuckled, nodding.

"Sure, I'm in." She shrugged and Lily hummed in thought.

"Well, it does sound like fun…" she sighed and looked to Marshall before nodding and looking back at Barney. "Okay, let's do it." She grinned wide and Alekai groaned.

"Okay, if you've forgotten, you need a costume to get inside a haunted house. I don't have a costume, and Barney, you're not getting yours until Halloween." He said and Robin chuckled, but before she could cut in, Barney beat her to it, his grin turning predatory.

"I'll make a bet with you, _love_," Alekai gulped and shrunk in his seat, unsure where this was going, "I will buy us two simple costumes for the haunted houses. If you can survive the entire night through each of the _four_ haunted houses, I will treat you to the nicest dinner you've ever had, plus I will take you on a trip to the fanciest hotel you can imagine and we'll spend the entire Halloween weekend there, just the two of us…" he purred and Alekai perked up, hearing this, before frowning.

"And… and if I don't? If I get spooked and want to run and… and hide?" He winced at this, but saying it that way seemed to be the only way to get Barney to say his entire idea.

The look in Barney's eyes almost seemed to speak for him. "If you get spooked, I will still treat you to the hotel, but on one condition." Alekai steeled himself for this and closed his eyes tightly, waiting for the inevitable. "I get to pick out your costume for Halloween and you have to wear it the _entire_ night."

Robin blinked and stared in slight shock. "Wow, Barney, that's actually the easiest bet you've ever made with any of us," even as she said this though, Alekai was trying his hardest not to blush and shake his head no.

"Easy for you to say!" He blurted out, whimpering, "If I lose, I may just have to wear the worst possible costume ever made!" And by worst, he meant possibly the sluttiest outfit ever made.

Barney only smirked and grabbed his wine with his visible hand, resting his other underneath the table on Alekai's thigh, extremely close to his crotch. The vampire gulped and shivered a little, blinking his eyes and he shook his head. "I'm waiting, _darling_." Barney cooed in a tone that only Alekai could tell was half teasing and half… not.

"I…" he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, trying to ignore the hand on his leg. The way he saw it, he had two options, and both kind of benefitted him a little anyway, because of the trip to the hotel, but the only difference was if he won, he'd get dinner, and if he lost… he'd have to wear whatever costume Barney picked out. "Okay," he sighed and nodded, looking up with renewed determination. "I'll do it. But just so you know, I'm not backing out and you will owe me a trip to the 'fanciest hotel I can imagine' _and_ the 'nicest dinner I've ever had'. Deal?" He added as a final word and Barney smirked, leaning down and sealing it with a kiss.

"Deal," he whispered back.

* * *

><p>Alekai smiled a little at the costume he wore: it was comfortable and not all that bad. Robin helped pick it out for him, since neither trusted Barney to get an appropriate costume for the houses. He was currently going as a wolf, fitted with a long fluffy tail and fluffy ears as well. He had on a mask that was shaped like a wolf's face and he wore dark-colored clothes with fluff around the edges.<p>

"You don't really look like a wolf person." Barney commented idly, though he was smiling in that way that told Alekai he adored what he saw. Alekai smiled back and chuckled, taking a moment to look at Barney's temporary costume.

"I know, _bat_ fits me better, doesn't it?" Barney smirked at that, a sharp glint in his eyes, and Alekai chose to ignore it. "You look good, in a creepy sort-of way…" he tilted his head when he realized that Barney was some sort of ghoul.

"I look good in anything," he bragged and Alekai rolled his eyes, though he definitely wasn't going to deny that, straightening his costume before smiling when Barney held out his arm, "ready to go, love?"

Alekai nodded and took Barney's arm in his own, following him out with his tail swaying behind him.

* * *

><p>So far the night has been a complete disaster: Marshall got spooked so Lily had to take him home, Robin got called into work so she had to leave, Ted decided he was 'sick' so he didn't come at all, and Barney was standing there with Alekai with that damned smirk and taking everything all in stride.<p>

While Alekai was near close to tears and he was barely even done with the second house. He wasn't going to give up though; his father had taught him to always go forward and never back. He was going to see this through the end whether he broke down or not, because _damn it_ he really wanted that dinner…

"I hate you… I really, really hate you…" Alekai said stiffly, tense and he tried to blink away his tears. He wasn't so unnerved when he got no reply back, but he was when he came into an empty room in the haunted house. "W-what…?" He questioned, stopping almost immediately and he turned around sharply. "B-Barney?"

No answer… _Fuck_.

"B-B-Barney!?" Okay, _now_ might be a good time to freak out. "Y-you bastard, d-don't play games w-with me! C-come out from w-wherever y-you're hiding!" This is not real, this is just a stupid haunted house in the middle of Halloween and Barney is just being a big dick, that's all… "B-Barney-!" Alekai let out a sharp squeal of fright and jumped nearly five feet in the air, breaking down completely when he felt bony hands on his shoulder and neck.

"Alekai!" Barney rushed into the room, just a bit panicked, his eyes widening greatly when he saw his lover huddled on the floor, against one of the walls, crying. He only barely managed a glare to the man dressed as a skeleton before falling to his knees beside the vampire. "Shh, babe, it's okay, I'm here…" he whispered and Alekai hiccupped, clinging tightly to the older man.

"Wh-where w-were… y-you!?" Alekai whimpered, shaking terribly and looking like he was having a panic attack.

Barney felt like a complete ass then, and he sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lose you, I swear… I'm here now…" he hoped to god he could make this night up with the frightened vampire, but he doubted Alekai would forgive him for this if he ever decided he could do anything on his own after this. "Come on… let's get you out of here." He said, sighing again and Barney decided to call the bet off.

"B-b-but…" Alekai only had half a mind to protest, but he really didn't fight it when Barney helped him stand and they made their way to the exit. Thankfully the staff at the house decided to back off from the two as they did.

* * *

><p>"W-what do you mean the bet is off!?" Alekai squeaked, a little shocked and Barney sighed, putting something inside a black wooden box inside the closet in their room. "B-but Barney!" Alekai had to admit, he was looking forward to going to the hotel.<p>

"I'm not keeping the bet after what happened, Alekai, I don't care what you have to say on the matter." Barney said, his tone sharp and a little shaken and this time it was Alekai that felt guilty. God, why did he have to be such a wimp? He's a vampire for peats sake! He should live for a holiday like this.

Alekai lowered his head and looked down at the ground. "Sorry…" he muttered, though it wasn't loud enough for Barney to hear, as the older man left the room and went out for a walk. The vampire groaned and fell back onto the bed, closing his eyes tightly as he tried to think. "Wait…" he sat up and looked at the closet with a hidden curiosity and bit of suspicion.

He then smirked, though with a little less-confidence than he wanted, and got up, walking to the closet before grabbing what was inside the little wooden box.

* * *

><p>Barney let out a soft sigh as he closed the door behind him, shrugging off his jacket and throwing it over the couch. "Alekai, babe, I'm home." He called through the house, frowning when he didn't get an answer back; though he supposed he wasn't surprised, with what had happened earlier. He sighed again and looked to the table where a little brochure sat that had the number for the fanciest hotel he knew. "Maybe I should take him there anyway… that might get him to forgive me a little sooner, huh?"<p>

"B-Barney…?" Barney perked up when he heard Alekai's voice, though it sounded a bit strange, and he frowned, walking towards their bedroom. "_Fuck!_" Now he was a little worried.

"Alek?" Barney called, having half a mind to knock on the closed door.

"Ack! N-no! D-don't come in!" He sounded… embarrassed, almost, and nervous, too, now that Barney thought about it.

"Okay…?" Barney sighed and shook his head. "Um, I'm going to make dinner then," he said, half-heartedly and was about to turn away until Alekai spoke again.

"No! Wait!" Barney stayed and for a moment there was nothing but awkward silence. "…y-you… you can come in…" The older man hesitated slightly before closing his hand around the door knob and turning it, pushing the door open. He wasn't really surprised when he found himself in darkness, the lights in the room out.

"Alekai…" Barney murmured, hearing shuffling within the room, "can I turn on the light?"

There was another brief silence and Barney was getting a little worried, until a very timid "…y-yes…" came from the bat hiding within.

Barney nodded to his self, since he wasn't sure Alekai could actually see him, and flicked out his hand to turn on the light. He took a moment to adjust to the initial brightness before freezing as he saw what stood before him. "A-Alekai…" he choked out, unable to help it.

Alekai was standing just a few feet away from him, shifting nervously with his face red and his eyes a darker shade, though he was clearly uncomfortable. He wasn't wearing his normal clothes, but in fact the outfit that Barney had bought for the bet, if Alekai lost.

The initial outfit consisted of a short frilly black dress, long black stockings, some knee-high boots, black silk gloves, and a short-ish black jacket with dark colored fluff around the edges that was actually from the wolf costume and _not_ for this one. The costume itself was that of a _bat_, and however ironic, it _fit_. Alekai wore everything: the long spaded tail, hanging behind him that was actually attached to very girly underwear; the little ears that went with the tail; and the little leather wings that were 'folded' behind the jacket and that was attached to the dress itself, though they truly didn't match the beauty of Alekai's own wings.

But what got to Barney was that he was not only wearing all of that, with the cute little expression he gets when he's so embarrassed but so determined to win, he was also wearing the _collar and the leash_ that he bought to go with it. The collar was completely black with pure emerald gems and the leash was just about the most expensive dog leash he could find.

"_Fuck_!" Barney cursed, and though he really didn't mean to make it sound so bad, since Alekai's expression faltered just a little, because he was getting so aroused and Alekai is wearing all of this willingly and it's almost too much.

"I-I'm sorry…" Alekai said suddenly, looking at the ground now and Barney snapped from his 'trance', blinking and he looked up at Alekai's face, eyes wide.

"W-what?! No, Alekai, no… don't say sorry." He quickly rubbed a hand over his face before taking three quick strides over to the younger male. "I just… I can't believe you'd actually wear this… _willingly_, anyway." He added with a meager smirk and Alekai's blush darkened, though he glanced up at Barney through his eyelashes and the man really can't say that he hates it when Alekai does that because it's _really_ quite the opposite.

"I…" Alekai started, shakily and he shook his head, clearing his throat and looking up with all the confidence he could muster, though it was quickly fading, "A… a deal is a deal… B-Barney. And I'm not about to let this all slide b-because of what… what happened." He faltered a little when Barney frowned and shook his head again. "D-don't say no. Not again. W-we made a bet Barney Stinson!" He puffed his cheeks out, crossing his arms now and he closed his eyes tightly, afraid of what might happen next.

Though, for a long while, nothing did.

"B-Barney…?" He questioned, frowning now, opening his eyes just in time to see a look of pure shock and admiration turn to loving fondness with a touch of an amused smirk.

Alekai didn't even realize Barney had a hand on the leash around his neck until he was pulled forward a little, right up against Barney and his blush returned in full force. "You… must _really_ want to go to the hotel…" Barney's smirk grew when he saw Alekai's eyes widen, looking only a little guilty.

"N-no!" He immediately denied before looking down, "…kinda?" He looked up shyly then, "Yes…" he then sighed in frustration. "D-damn it! No! This is supposed to be you getting what you wanted and that's me in this stupid costume on a night alone in a fancy hotel with no one to bother us!" He declared, only then realizing what he said and he gulped, looking exactly like an animal caught in a trap. It probably didn't help that Barney's own expression matched that of a wild cat that just so happened to be the one that _caught_ the animal. "U-um… Barney-!?" He squeaked when Barney tugged on his leash.

"Shut up and kiss me, already," Barney half-sighed, half-groaned, and Alekai was all too eager to comply.

* * *

><p>"So," Robin started with an all-knowing smirk, "how was your weekend?"<p>

Alekai let out a whimper in answer, not bothering with an actual answer, wincing when he felt a sharp pain shoot up his spine and he glared when Barney smirked, though it wasn't his triumphant one this time, it was more so a fond and loving one. He did let out a squeak when Barney decided to pull him into his lap, though admittedly his lap was more comfortable than the leather seats at the moment. "I-I hate you…" he muttered half-heartedly, leaning his head back against Barney's shoulder and the man chuckled, kissing his neck.

"I love you too, my little bat," Barney purred, running his hand gently along Alekai's lower back and the vampire managed a smile, ignoring his friends as he let out a contented sigh, letting his eyes slip closed.

And you know what? He didn't even care that Barney didn't get to wear his costume for Halloween. After all, there's always next year.

* * *

><p>Same as last time, next story will be posted tomorrow if I remember.<p>

~The White Wolf, Zero


	4. Chapter 4

**Words:** 6,010

**Rating:** M-

**Warnings:** Yaoi, angst, mentions of rape, vampire hunters/slave traders, and mild sexual themes.

**Summary:** Alekai gets kidnapped by slave-traders that use vampires as sex toys. His friends look for him and end up getting more than they bargain for.

* * *

><p>Alekai hummed in happiness, accepting the sleepy kiss from his lover, giggling a little. "Barney…" he whined half-heartedly, though he didn't push away from the older man, "I… I have to… work…" he panted and Barney groaned, rolling over so he pinned the vampire to the bed.<p>

"Come on, babe… it's too early, just stay and lay with me," he purred and Alekai smirked, eyes sparkling in the soft golden light of the table lamp beside the bed.

"Knowing you, we'll be doing a lot more than just sleeping…" though Alekai really wasn't complaining… "but Barney," he sighed and finally pushed Barney away, "I really _do_ have work."

Barney pulled a sour face and backed off a little when Alekai sat up, the blanket pooling around his waist. "You've been working non-stop all week…" he complained, frowning and Alekai nodded.

"I know, I know, but you know it's been busy since we've gotten the new exhibit, and I _promise_ you I'll make it up to you. I'll come home early tonight, I will. And then we can do whatever you want." Barney smirked at that and Alekai _almost_ regretted saying that, but he smiled back, nodding to the silent question.

"I'm holding you to that _Mr. James_," Barney said teasingly and Alekai rolled his eyes before getting out of the bed and getting ready, making sure to give a little show before he did; he never missed a chance to tease Barney and this was the perfect opportunity. He laughed when he heard Barney groan before dancing off to the bathroom. "Tease!"

"Call it payback," Alekai shot back, smirking.

* * *

><p>Alekai let out a yawn, walking down the empty sidewalk, his phone in hand. He smiled as he pulled up a number and quickly typed something out. <em>'On my way home, twenty minutes tops, promise.'<em>

He was about to put his phone away until he bumped into someone. "Oh! I'm sorry…!" He looked up with wide eyes, trailing off when he saw who he bumped into. "Sh-shit…!" He gasped out, fangs bared automatically and the man before him smirked wickedly.

"Well, well, well, if it ain't li'l Alekai… what a nice li'l surprise." The man snickered and snatched Alekai's wrist before the vampire could even think to run. "You're a hard one to find, you are," he breathed out and Alekai hissed in pain, feeling something sharp in his neck, his vision blurring. He whimpered and the man only laughed; the last sound he heard before his world turned dark.

* * *

><p>It was dark, when Alekai opened his eyes, and for a moment he couldn't see anything. He shifted and hissed in pain, closing his eyes; his head hurt and his neck felt a tiny bit numb, his hands and feet also felt restricted. "<em>Fuck!<em>" His eyes snapped open when he remembered what happened and he tried to frantically get the chains from his hands and feet. "_No, no,_ _no!_" He hissed, fear coursing through his whole body; his fangs were bared and his bit into his bottom lip to catch a desperate cry that wanted to get out, droplets of blood running down his chin and dripping on the hard floor beneath him.

He froze, his blood running cold, when he heard a chuckle; dark and deep and so very, very familiar. "Alekai Tyler James," the voice purred and Alekai shivered in fear, "so we meet again."

Alekai didn't dare to breathe as he saw the shadowy figure walk towards him, a certain confidence and regal superiority surrounding him.

"I've nearly forgotten how _long_ it's been since we've last seen each other." The man stopped before the vampire and knelt down, raising a hand and brushing Alekai's cheek with the back of it. Alekai tried his damnedest not to flinch at the touch, but he failed, hissing sharply at the hunter.

"Seven years, five months, thirteen days… and it would've been longer." Alekai growled, eyes narrowed, trying to convey anger long since faded into fear.

"Oh, I know, little bat." The man chuckled darkly and Alekai bit back a whimper, his head turning away from him. "I've spent so long tracking you down, but you're always that little bit out of my reach… what happened?" He cooed and Alekai let out a shaky breath. "How long have you been in New York without my knowledge? What made you stay, what made you throw fear to the wind and live your life as is?" There was a heavy silence before Alekai saw a wicked grin spread across the man's face. "You must've found yourself a lover, to have stayed in one place so long. I wonder…" he trailed, leaving his words hanging in the air.

Alekai snapped his head up at the tone the man used and he felt a sharp heat well in his chest, "_You stay away from him, you bastard!_" He hissed darkly, thrashing against the cuffs, trying to get away and the man laughed. He bared his fangs, hissing at him, and the man only laughed loudly.

"Oh, my precious little bat," he tsked and shook his head in a dramatic manner, "you still don't get it." The man's air changed dramatically, snatching Alekai's face in his hands, and Alekai's entire being froze with more fear than he'd ever felt before. "You belong to me, you always have. And I could care less about who you play around with as long as they don't get in the way of me and my business." A wicked smirk was met at the end of those words, and Alekai felt tears come to his eyes. "Now, _love_, where were we?"

"I… I am _not_ yours…" the bat whispered shakily.

"In time you'll see, Alekai, _you are,_" he paused to prove this by claiming Alekai's lips, tasting his blood, before finishing his sentence in a sharp tone that only said he wasn't messing around, "_mine_."

* * *

><p>An hour… it's been an hour since Alekai texted him, saying he'd be home in only <em>twenty minutes<em>. _'Relax, Barney; he probably got called back into work. You said yourself he said he was going to leave early, right? So maybe his boss didn't like that.'_ - Message received from 'Robin' at 10:23 P.M.

Barney groaned, pacing restlessly in his living room, unable to sit still at the moment. _'He promised me we'd have the night off to ourselves, Robin. He wouldn't do that, not tonight at least.'_ He sent the reply after a few minutes, backspacing and retyping what he wanted.

_'Have you tried calling or texting him again?'_ - Message received from 'Robin' at 10:29 P.M.

_'Several times. He hasn't answered, texted, or called back, for that matter. He always answers his phone, Robin, and don't say it could be off or dead, it's always charged and he'd never turn it off for anything, not unless he tells me first.'_

_'Okay, okay, just… calm down.'_ - Message received from 'Robin' at 10:34 P.M.

Barney could almost picture the sigh that went along with the text when he read it, before reading the next.

_'You sound like you need a drink. Let's meet up at the bar and you can talk to us about it then, and I won't take no as an answer. See you then.'_ - Message received from 'Robin' at 10:35 P.M.

Sighing, Barney pocketed his phone and grabbed his jacket, frowning as he looked back at the house. He decided last minute to leave a note on the fridge for Alekai if he was actually just late.

* * *

><p>Swirling his drink around in the glass, Barney stared glumly at the wine while his friends exchanged worried glances. "Barney… I'm sure it's really not as bad as you're making it out to be." Barney didn't even lift his gaze to glare at Ted, instead narrowing his eyes at the wine.<p>

"Yeah, bud, you're probably just worrying for no reason." Marshall supplied, offering a smile that went unseen by everyone but Robin, Ted, and Lily.

"Alekai would have told me if he was going to be later than usual," Barney said, sharp and tense, "instead he said that he was _on his way home_, and only twenty minutes away. _Damn it!_ It's been nearly an hour and a half and he is still not home!"

Lily made a small noise in the back of her throat like she just saw a poor little kitten and she reached out a hand, putting it on top of Barney's own. "Oh honey," she started in her well known 'mother' voice, but Barney shrugged her off, standing up sharply.

"I'm going to look for him." He said and Robin stood up too. "Don't try and stop me." He growled, though it probably wasn't a bright idea to threaten a vampire as temper-mental as Robin.

She only smirked though, "Who says I'm going to stop you? I want to… come… with…" she trailed off with wide eyes, staring at the muted tv in the corner and her friends turned to look as well, reading the subtitles on the screen. "Fuck! Hey, turn the tv up!" She hissed and the volume was turned up, most everyone paying attention to the screen now.

"We have reports of several missing person cases turning up all over New York City," if Barney wasn't panicking before, he was now, "I caution vampires of all ages to be careful when going out at night. We're not sure why this is happening, but the authorities are doing all they can to find them."

Barney was out the door, his phone already out, before anyone had a chance to react.

"Barney!" Robin raced after him, Ted, Lily, and Marshall following after her.

"Fuck! Come on, come on; please answer your phone!" He pleaded, dialing Alekai's number over and over before he finally became tired of listening to the automated voicemail.

Marshall was the one to call a cab, "Come on, let's at least check the museum before we start panicking." He suggested and just like that, they began the short drive to Alekai's work.

* * *

><p>Amber and Darren stared at the group in confusion and worry, sitting in Darren's office. "What do you mean Alekai isn't home?" Amber asked, running her fingers through her long brown hair, hazel eyes wide and Ted sighed, frowning.<p>

"Barney got a text when Alekai left work, around nine, and then nothing… Alekai never came home." He said, voice shaky and Barney let out a harsh breath.

"Damn it, I _knew_ I should've just picked him up from work myself… I hate it when he walks home in the dark." Barney ran his hands through his hair and Robin put a hand on his shoulder. She opened her mouth to say something but he shook her hand off and stood up, "No, don't you dare say anything, Robin," he growled, eyes narrowed, "something happened to him, I know it, and it's my fault. Now I'm going to go look for him, with or without your help."

"We're not letting you go alone, Barney," Lily said and Marshall nodded, agreeing with his wife.

Amber looked at Darren with a small frown, mouthing some words to him and he shrugged, looking down in thought. "You know, we might not be able to go out and help you look, but… I think I can do something for you." Robin looked up at him with a frown, motioning with her hand to go on while the others stared at Darren. "Would Alekai still have his phone on him?"

Barney nodded, "Yeah, he should… he always has it in case he needs to get a hold of any of us."

Darren grinned, "Then I may know someone who can help us out."

* * *

><p>"This is Eddy, he's the company's techno'gen," Darren chuckled as the raven haired man saluted in greeting.<p>

"What can I do for you, Renny?" Eddy grinned, cracking his knuckles. Darren rolled his eyes and Amber grimaced before shaking her head.

"We need you to track the chip on Alek's phone." She said, frowning and Eddy raised an eyebrow.

"You know… that's a big task, tracking a single phone in New York City."

"So you… you can't do it?" Barney frowned and Eddy puffed his cheeks out.

"I never said I couldn't do it, man." He huffed out a breath and swiveled in his chair, facing his three computers. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, watch a real genius at work." It wasn't even a minute later when Eddy spoke again, "The kid's phone is off, but the last known location I can place him in is… damn dude, the kid's got taste."

Barney stiffened up when he heard this, frowning. "Where is he?" He demanded and Eddy rolled his eyes, pulling up a page.

"I can't guarantee he's there now, but here you go man."

Barney was out the door before anyone could even react… again.

"I hope you find him!" Amber shouted after him, biting her bottom lip in worry and Darren sighed.

"Yeah, good luck…" he told the others and offered a small smile, "call us when you find him, please?"

Robin nodded, "We will."

* * *

><p>"I wonder, my pretty little bat, what I should do." The man purred, kneeling in front of Alekai again, delighting in the whimpers of pain from the blonde. Blood ran down his naked body, and he was shifting like it hurt to sit how he was. The cuffs were still there, rubbing against red, bloodied skin, and there was a chain that hooked to a collar around the bat's neck. "Should I display you for all my subjects to see what a pretty little catch you are, or… or should I keep you all to myself?" He whispered seductively and Alekai shivered, whimpering again, shaking his head weakly, his head leaning unwillingly against the man's chest. "Should I flaunt to the world how you're mine, and <em>only<em> mine, or should I make you sit in my room and wait for me to come up so I," he licked his lips, whispering in Alekai's ear, "can _claim_ you again and again… and again…"

Alekai let out a harsh breath and tried to move away, but the hand on the chain was strong and steady.

"_No_, I know what I'll do," the man said with a wicked grin and before Alekai could do anything, he felt a sharp pain in his chest that felt like a fire spreading through his entire body. "Just _relax_ and let it… take its course. You'll feel _much_ better if you do."

Alekai didn't know what was happening, but a voice in his head said it wasn't right, so he did the only thing he could think: he fought with every fiber of his being.

* * *

><p>The cab pulled up to the club, a half an hour later, and Barney was just itching to get out and do something. Robin put a hand on his arm and shook her head. "We can't go rushing in there until we know what we're dealing with, Barney." She said, hoping to calm him down just a little.<p>

"I am going to do whatever I need to get Alekai back _safe and sound_." He brushed her off, climbing out of the cab, stalking up to the club with a dangerous air.

"Hold it, sir," a large man in a black suit stopped him before he could even reach the entrance and Barney's eyes narrowed. "I'm going to need to see some I.D."

"I will ask you _once_ to let go of my arm before I have your ass _fired_." Barney growled warningly and he could see the man tense in fear.

"I.D. please," despite this he still stood firm. Barney grabbed out his wallet before showing the man his I.D. and the man's eyes widen in realization. "I apologize, Mr. Stinson, go on in." He said, shakily, letting go of Barney's arm immediately and Barney scowled, straightening his suit. "Hey, miss, you can't-"

"They're with me," Barney said, sharply, and the man nodded, stepping back and allowing the others in with Barney.

The music was loud and the air was suffocating; people were everywhere, and most had a vampire at their feet, either half-naked or fully naked with some sort of chain around their neck.

Everyone's reactions were immediate: Robin tensed, seeing eyes on her, some with interest and others with something else and even some with apparent disgust; Ted tensed for a different reason all together, his hands clenched tightly like he was waiting for someone to throw them out; Lily looked horrified at everything she saw, but her emotions were only limited to her eyes, her body completed relaxed; Marshall just looked… sick. And Barney, he looked the epitome of bloody murder, and the group knew that if nothing was done soon, they would end up in a _lot_ of trouble.

Of course, it didn't take long before things started heating up.

And it all started with Marshall actually getting sick. Lily had to lead him out and back to a cab before he ended up telling her to go back inside and help look for Alekai; she eventually let him go home on his own.

Next, Robin offered to use herself as a distraction for some of the people there which Ted really didn't like. That led to the next event: Ted getting into a fight that ended up with a few people landing on their asses and Ted getting battered and bruised.

Lily was confronted by some men who had a few vampires on leashes and she was offered to buy one of them. She promptly declined before deciding to look for Barney, who had completely disappeared during all of this.

It didn't take a genius to figure out where he was, though, because almost as soon as Lily started looking, the entire club quieted and all eyes turned towards a large stage where curtains drew apart, revealing a giant throne where a single man sat. Lily, Robin, and Ted all froze when they saw the vampire at the man's feet.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the man started in a silky smooth voice, "thank you for coming to my darling little club." He finished and the crowd cheered in answer. "Now, we've had a bit of fun to start off the evening, and I just _know_ you're all dying to meet my newest little pet." He purred and the hand not holding the chain around Alekai's neck, went to his hair, which had become a touch bit longer with blackened ends. "Say hello, _Alekai_…"

* * *

><p>Barney couldn't breathe. He felt so much pain and anger and fear and worry course through him that he couldn't fucking <em>breathe<em>. Alekai… _Alekai_ was there, right in front of him… but at the same time, he wasn't. He was different, so _fucking_ different. His hair was still that messy blonde that Barney loved to run his hands through, but the tips were black now and it was just a bit longer than it normally was. His eyes were different too, they were no longer that beautiful green with little red speckles in them, but instead a solid blood red, the green no longer visible; and they looked so _feral_. _He _looked so feral and wild.

Alekai was naked too, his pale skin bared for everyone to see, but instead of the beautiful unmarked skin Barney was used to, it was bloodied and scarred and it hurt to look at him.

His hands and feet were chained and around his neck was a collar that was attached to a chain that was wrapped around the vile man's hand. Like he _owned_ him and that made the anger in Barney bubble into fury.

But what made Barney so _scared_ was what Alekai had changed into. Large pure black leather wings stretched out from Alekai's back, folding in and out like he didn't know what to do and they were fluttering that tiny bit like he was in so much pain but couldn't do anything. Replacing his ears were thin but long, furred pitch black bat ears that were folded in and lowered like he was scared and threatened. And just behind him, was a long, thin, pitch black, spaded tail that was flicking out violently, hitting the chair and the ground with little thumps that filled what silence was barely there.

"Alekai…" he choked out, whispering it to his self, but then Alekai was looking at him, red eyes narrow and wild, and he felt his heart break and then he didn't even care. "Alekai!" He shouted, taking one step forward before Robin was there, holding him back so he couldn't do anything stupid.

"Oh? What's this?" The man was looking at him now too and he felt that fury bubble up again, this time spreading through his entire body. "And who might you be?"

"I'm the man who's going to be sticking my foot up your ass if you don't _let my boyfriend go_." Barney threatened darkly, hands clenched.

"Barney…" Robin hissed, glancing at the men and women around them, just before Lily and Ted joined the two.

"_Your_ boyfriend?" The man let out a little laugh and the crowd laughed with him. "Oh, I don't think so, because you see… little Alekai here is _mine_." There was a low growl that could be heard and Barney thought for a moment Robin was making the noise but then realized, quite quickly, that it was Alekai.

"I _won't_ ask again." Barney warned, wrenching his arm from Robin and stalking up to the stage. "_Let Alekai go._"

Then the man smirked, his eyes narrowed. "Now see, I don't think you quite understand, _Mr. Stinson_." And then Barney did understand. Because then the people around them were picking a fight without being told to do so and the man knew his _name_ even without hearing it from Barney's lips.

"You fucker!" Barney snapped, jumping up onto the stage and he charged at the man, fist raised.

And he would have landed the punch…

If it weren't for Alekai.

* * *

><p>He didn't know what was going, but he knew something wasn't right. There was noise, lots of it, and it was really loud and it hurt, <em>he<em> hurt. And then there was something familiar, like a soft hum in the sea of chaos.

But then that hum was gone and the pain grew and all he could think to do was flee.

* * *

><p>"Alekai!" Barney shouted, watching as the vampire ran away, and he pushed away from the man, not even caring about him as he gave chase. "Alekai wait!"<p>

"Barney!" Robin called after him, making a small noise before following, leaving Ted and Lily to their own devices.

It was ten minutes later when they found Alekai again, huddled in the shadows of a cold, dark alley, his bruised wings curled around him like a shield. Barney let out a shaky breath, taking careful steps towards the frightened vampire, hoping not to scare him any further. He froze though when the wings tightened around Alekai and he heard a soft hiss coming from him.

"Alekai…" Barney whispered, falling to his knees only a few feet away from him. "Alekai, I'm… I'm not going to hurt you." He saw the wings twitch and fall away, but the sight within was no better. Alekai was huddled in a ball, with his legs pulled to his chest, his head lowered and his hands clutching tightly at his legs, leaving little red marks on his skin.

"Barney…" Robin warned, when she saw Barney reach for him, and she nearly sighed in relief when he pulled his hand away.

"Robin… what…?" Barney trailed when she shook her head, frowning.

"I'll explain later." She whispered, leaning back against the wall, fading into the shadows and hoping to go unseen by Alekai, appearing as something unimportant.

Barney nodded his head solemnly and turned back to Alekai, wincing at the sight of the chain. "May… may I remove the chain…?" He asked, his voice soft and he tried to appear small as he shifted just a tiny bit closer towards the vampire, not making any sudden moves.

Alekai tensed, but didn't move, his gaze rose up to meet Barney's own and his eyes narrowed, red darkening just a bit. Eventually Barney was close enough that Alekai could feel his body heat and he whimpered, eyes closed, as he felt just how cold he was now.

Barney frowned, but took that as a sign he could reach out, and he did. Alekai flinched when Barney touched the collar, but didn't move otherwise and whimpered again when he felt the collar slip away from his neck and heard it clatter to the hard stone below them.

It was then that Alekai realized the man was a friend and he could trust him. And it was then that Alekai felt he couldn't keep up his strength; slumping against the wall, his wings and tail falling limp.

"I'll take care of you, Alekai… I promise." He heard the words whispered to him before his world fell into darkness.

* * *

><p>"Robin… why is Alekai like… like that?" Lily was the one to ask the question first, when Barney finally was able to get Alekai back to their house. They were all sitting in Alekai and Barney's room, around Barney, who was sitting on the bed beside the sleeping vampire.<p>

"It's a trigger response." Robin finally answered, sighing as she shook her head. "Most vampires are able to appear as a certain way to show a reaction to something or an emotion. My trigger is pleasure, Alekai's is… well, his is pain." She said weakly and Barney tensed up. "Sometimes this can lead to the host shutting down, like Alekai's case, especially if the trigger is great enough; other times the vampire can still remain in control of who they are."

"How long is…" Ted trailed, nodding to Alekai and Robin frowned.

"I'm not sure. He told me the most it's ever lasted is a few days, sometimes only an hour or two." Marshall frowned as well.

"You mean this has happened to him before?" Robin only nodded, not saying anything more.

It was just a few minutes later when Barney stood up from the bed. "I think… I think I can take it from here." He whispered and Robin nodded in understanding.

"Okay," she said, resting a hand on his shoulder before nodding to the others. She was the first to leave; Lily was the last.

"Call us if you need anything," she said and then added, "and please let us know when he wakes up."

"Sure." Barney answered, not looking at her.

* * *

><p>The first thing he noticed, when he woke up, was that it was warm. There was a heavy weight on his body and a lighter one on his head. He also felt a lot of pain, from said head and his back, and when he tried shifting, it only got worse.<p>

It was then that he realized he was in a bed, and his eyes shot open, panic swirling through him.

He relaxed, though confusion filled him, when he recognized the room to be his own. "W-wha…?" He whispered, his voice rough and he winced, before trying to sit up. The weight on his head though was stopping him and he turned his head only slightly to see it was a hand. He blinked and looked to whom the hand belonged to, his eyes widening when he saw Barney, sitting beside the bed, asleep. "B-Barney…" he breathed out, tears coming to his eyes.

For one split second, he thought everything that happened was a nightmare, and then he felt the pain again and he sat up, carefully removing Barney's hand before reaching around to feel his back, wincing before coming to rest on the base of his wings. His gaze then fell to his tail, which twitched beside him, the spaded end hidden beneath the blanket.

"…Alekai…" Alekai turned his head towards Barney, tears crawling down his cheeks, and he shakily reached his hand out and grabbed Barney's own.

He saw Barney's eyes open, slowly, and he let out a shaky breath when beautiful blue met clouded green. "…you found me…" he whispered and Barney was right at his side, hugging him tightly.

"Oh god, Alekai!" Barney choked out, taking in a deep breath and Alekai buried his head in Barney's chest. "You're okay…" Alekai nodded mutely, sniffling, and he barely felt Barney kiss his head as the man gently ran his hand down his back, his touch stuttering when it met the base of his wings. "…Alekai…"

His wings fluttered and he let out a soft breath when the hands touched them, hesitantly at first and then more, stroking them with feather-light touches and Alekai shivered.

"You never…" Barney started in a whisper and Alekai closed his eyes tightly, trying to focus on only his voice and his touch and not the pain everywhere else.

"I never thought it mattered… because… because of my trigger…" Alekai whispered back, his voice just a tiny bit shakier.

"I'm sorry," Barney flinched away and Alekai let out a whimper, grabbing at Barney's arms. "I'm so _sorry_."

Alekai just shook his head and sighed, "…please don't stop…" he pleaded softly and for a moment Barney didn't do anything, but then his hands were right back on his wings and Alekai felt himself relaxing. "Barney…" he whispered, looking up, and he only realized then that the tears haven't stopped, just as his gaze met Barney's own and he kissed him. Barney was hesitant, but he kissed back after a few heartbeats, and then Alekai pulled back, lips barely a centimeter away from Barney's. "I need you…"

He whimpered when Barney pulled away completely, shaking his head sharply, his hands stilling. "No, Alekai, _no_." He breathed out, closing his eyes and Alekai frowned.

"Barney, _please_…"

"N-no… I'm not… I _can't_…" Barney stumbled over his words and Alekai beat his wings as he lunged forward, wrapping arms around Barney's waist and burying his face in his neck, silent tears still running down his cheeks.

"…please…" he begged, broken, "_I need you…_" He needed Barney to wipe the memory of that man from his mind. He wanted to remember only Barney's voice, only Barney's touch. He wanted the pain to be gone and he wanted to remember the pleasure. "…I need you…" he whispered again, his wings falling limp this time; he was surrendering, giving himself up, showing his submissive nature. Only Barney…

And then Barney was nodding, his arms tight around his waist and he didn't care about the pain because Barney was there to protect him. "…okay…" he whispered back, soft and hesitant before repeating the word, stronger, "okay."

The first kiss was slow and hesitant, just like everything else, but with every few heartbeats, they became more passionate and less careful. Each poured every emotion they felt into the string of kisses, and before long, nothing was left between them but their own skin.

Alekai's wings stretched out above him, his tail wrapped tightly around Barney's leg, as the vampire trailed the kisses from his lips to Barney's neck, ignoring the need to mark what was his. He made a desperate whine in the back of his throat when he felt Barney's hand go from the base of his wings to the base of his tail and he cried out when he felt it being tugged; pleasure and pain mixing with one another, blurring together.

Everything was rushed, though neither cared and all they could think about was that they _needed_ the other; nearly to the point where it _hurt_.

Barney pressed his fingers against Alekai's mouth and the vampire wasted no time in getting them wet, making sure to give a little nip to the tips when Barney pulled them out. The older man groaned, desire and lust replacing every bit of worry and fear that taken hold of him in the last few hours, as the bat grinded his hips against his own, and he placed his fingers against Alekai's entrance, rubbing them against it for a few moments before pushing one in.

Alekai whimpered and let his head fall forward, his eyes closed tightly, and his wings fluttered again. "Barney…" he pleaded, leaning forward and kissing his lover hard, his sharp canines biting into Barney's lips and he licked at the blood, apologizing silently.

It wasn't long before Alekai was pushing back against three of Barney's fingers, though he desperately wanted more. The bat whimpered and curled his tail around Barney's hand, gasping when the hand on his tail only tugged harder and his tail flicked away from the stimulation.

"_Please_…" he begged, rubbing against Barney, nuzzling his neck and the older man finally relented, pulling his fingers away before allowing Alekai to continue. The younger man didn't even care about the pain at this point, too far gone in the pleasure; his tail and wings were added stimulation to the abuse on his prostate _and_ the friction on his cock. He pushed down on Barney's own cock without thought of the consequences and let out a sharp cry when he did, seating himself fully, his wings and tail quivering and his ears bent back against his head.

"_Fuck…!_" Barney cursed, having half a mind to grab Alekai's waist and hold him there so the blonde could adjust.

But Alekai really didn't want any of that tonight, shifting against Barney's hold and trying to get any kind of upper edge. Even with his wings beating furiously with pent-up frustration, he wouldn't budge. "Barney, let go-"

"_No_," Barney growled and Alekai hissed at him, shaking his head, shaking. He opened his eyes to glare at Barney, but he froze when he saw tears.

"W-wha…?" Alekai tried to blink away his own, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop crying. "…w-why…?" He whispered, his wings falling limp once more.

"I'm not going to let you hurt yourself on purpose…" Barney said, his voice gentle and Alekai lowered his head, slumping his shoulders in defeat. He opened his mouth to apologize, but was stopped by Barney tugging him down, placing a soft kiss on his lips. "Let me take care of you, _please_…?" Barney pleaded and Alekai let him, closing his eyes in a silent 'okay'.

Barney turned them on their side and started slow, taking his time now, showering his lover in kisses and gentle touches. And Alekai couldn't stop him even if he wanted to, physically too exhausted to do anything but sit back and take it.

It was probably the longest sex either of them had, but it was worth it in the end.

Alekai had stopped crying, not because he couldn't anymore, but because he felt like he didn't need to and Barney did cry, because he finally felt that Alekai was safe, safe and in his arms, where he belonged.

"Thank you…" Alekai whispered, brushing his hands through Barney's hair and he smiled.

Barney was silent for a moment, running his hands up and down Alekai's wings and the vampire sighed with content. "_Please_… Alekai… don't _ever _do that to me again…" Barney opened his eyes and looked into Alekai's, desperate.

"Only… only if you promise that you'll protect me…" Alekai bit his lower lip before adding, "and… and if I do get lost… promise that you'll find me and bring me back home…"

"I _promise_, god… I promise… Alekai, I promise I'll protect you and I will find you, I always will." Barney choked out, kissing Alekai over and over and the little bat made a small noise in answer.

"…thank you…" Alekai whispered again, finally closing his eyes and he fell asleep.

Barney only sighed and rested his head against the pillow, never once stilling his hands as they continued to stroke the beautiful wings of his lover. "_I promise_," he repeated one last time, with a gentle kiss to Alekai's head, before falling asleep as well.

* * *

><p>Same as last time, next story will be posted tomorrow if I remember.<p>

~The White Wolf, Zero


	5. Chapter 5

**Words:** 2,900

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Fluffy Yaoi and amusing antics.

**Summary:** Alekai and the gang meet William Matthew Traine: father of three, loving husband, brilliant gamer, and of course, boyfriend to the one and only Levi Colin Prince AKA Alekai's childhood best friend.

* * *

><p>"Hey Alekai," Alekai grinned, adjusting his bag as he walked into MacLaren's Pub, "glad you could finally make it." Robin teased him, smirking back.<p>

"Sorry, work ran a little late this time," he made a show of sighing as they walked to the bar, "Darren and Amber needed my help-"

"Here you go Alek, an iced water on the house," Alekai managed a smile at the joking tone the bartender used, taking his water as Robin took her own glass of whatever it was she drank now-a-days.

"Thank you. Anyway, they needed my help with some of the new employee's." He made a small grimace and Robin chuckled, nodding her head. "It was exhausting and now I kinda wish I _do_ drink- h-hey!" He yelped when someone bumped into him, only barely managing to hold onto his water.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't see you, kid," the man that bumped into him said and Alekai looked up, frowning before sighing.

"It's… it's okay… I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking." He offered a smile at the man, before looking away, almost stopping when he saw who the man was with. He frowned for a moment before shaking his head, turning his own gaze from the bright blue- red speckled- eyes that looked so _very_ familiar.

"So, what's the plan for tomorrow?" Robin asked, catching Alekai's attention and once more Alekai smiled, though it was a bit apologetic.

"I don't have to work, but I have to gather up a project to present to some college students about some of our exhibits. I won't be able to do much else, sorry." She groaned, but nodded her head.

"You really, really need to stop working so much. It's not good for a vampire like you, especially having to deal with someone like _Barney_ after." She smirked at him and he couldn't help the small laugh that escaped his lips.

"Hey…" they both heard a whine and turned their heads to their regular booth, "I'm right here you know?" This time everyone laughed, as Robin and Alekai settled into the booth to talk about whatever the hell they could.

* * *

><p>"Amber is going to <em>kill<em> me… I am _so_ late…!" Alekai groaned, trying his best to sort through his papers and get them into his bag before he hit the subway station. He managed to get to the station just before the doors closed, and he slipped inside the train before he was even _more_ late. "A-ack!" He yelped when someone bumped into him and his papers fell from his hands and onto the floor of the train. "Wh-wha? N-no… I just… are you serious!?" He groaned, kneeling down and picking up the papers, trying to get them in order once more.

"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry! I didn't see you there!" He saw someone kneel beside him, the person reaching out for the papers to help. "Here, let me help you."

"T-thank you…" Alekai sighed softly, feeling like a little kid with the mother-like tone the woman used. "Um… I can get the rest," he mumbled and she smiled at him as he grabbed the rest of the papers.

"Where do you work hun?" She asked and he blinked in surprise at the question, "I mean, that's an awful lot of papers," she added and he chuckled, looking down at them.

"Um, I work at the children's museum… and I normally don't need all these papers, but I have a project I need to do with some college students that are coming in today."

Her pretty green- red speckled- eyes lit up at that and she stood up, offering him a hand. "Well, isn't that a coincidence? I'm actually the dean for the college taking a trip there," she offered a professional smile then and he straightened up, eyes wide.

"M-Mrs. Traine!? Oh wow, I uh… it's nice to meet you. Er… you are so much nicer than Darren made you out to be…" he blushed then and lowered his head. "S-sorry…" he squeaked and she laughed, placing a hand on his arm.

"It's quite alright, I get that reaction a lot." She sighed and pulled her long red hair back before tying it up in a bun. "Well, it's almost our stop," she added and Alekai nodded, "and since we're going to the same place, and you know who I am but I don't know who you are-"

Alekai gasped a little, interrupting her with a darker blush on his face. "I'm sorry! I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Alekai James, Mrs. Traine. I um, I manage some of the exhibits I'll be telling your students about."

"It's very nice to meet you." Alekai nodded, beaming at her and she smiled back, "And no need to be all formal, just call me Olivia, alright?" He nodded again.

"O-okay, Olivia."

* * *

><p>"It's amazing how much you know about the exhibits altogether," Olivia clapped her hands together, "you know, not even my teachers know as much as you do."<p>

Alekai blushed and shrugged his shoulders, "I um, I used to study history a lot when I was little. I loved learning new things about the world and its past." Olivia shook her head and sighed.

"Now if only my students were like you," she chuckled and Alekai grinned a little, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, "now, about repayment for this morning," Alekai blinked stupidly at that.

"Huh? This morning?" He asked before his eyes widened. "Oh! No, no, I told you, it was okay. Y-you don't have to do anything…"

"Nonsense," she waved him off and smiled, "would you like to have dinner with my family? I'm making chicken fajitas."

Alekai looked down with a small frown, really wanting to say no, but his stomach had been growling non-stop for the past hour. "O-okay… but I have to let Barney know where I'm going." She nodded in understanding with a smirk as he grabbed out his phone and dialed the number he knew by heart.

* * *

><p>"I'm home!" Olivia called through the <em>giant<em> house, when she entered, a nervous Alekai trailing behind her, looking more than a little lost and feeling like a total stranger. In which case, he kind of was.

"Hey mom," a boy with reddish brown hair and green eyes smiled at her, looking up from the tv and Alekai's eyes widen with realization.

"You have kids?" He questioned, curiously and she nodded.

"Three. That one's Vincent, he's my youngest. Allison is probably upstairs drawing and Rachel…" she sighed when Vincent answered for her.

"Rachel is being a pain again, she wouldn't talk to anyone and went to Bryan's house as soon as she got home." He said, and Alekai tilted his head when he saw the look of concentration.

"What are you playing?" He asked, walking cautiously over to him and the boy barely cast him a glance.

"The Quest for Trimona," he answered as if it was obvious, but it really wasn't, especially with what he said next, "it's a game my dad created."

"Oh, your dad's a game designer then?" Vincent grinned and nodded his head, pausing the game.

"Yeah! He's one of the best! He's made all kinds of games," he beamed and Alekai smiled, but before he could answer, a man came into the room.

Alekai looked up and froze when he saw him. He was tall with short, messy dark brown hair, with blonde highlights, and hazel-green, blue tinted, eyes. He also kind of looked familiar. "Hi honey," Olivia walked to him and kissed him, smiling sweetly at him.

"Welcome home," the man chuckled, smiling back, "how'd the trip go?"

All Alekai could do was stare, wide eyed with a strange feeling welling in his chest. "Oh it was wonderful! The museum was amazing, and actually, there's someone I'd like to introduce you to." Olivia looked at Alekai and smiled warmly at him. "This is Alekai, he's one of the staff at the museum. We ran into each other on the subway," she chuckled and shook her head, "I hope you don't mind that I invited him to dinner. I accidently messed up his papers and wanted to apologize."

"That's fine with me, Olivia," he said and walked to Alekai, holding out his hand, "the name's William, but you can call my Will." He grinned and Alekai snapped from his 'trance'.

"Y-y-you…" Alekai hissed, backing away a little. "I-I saw you at the bar!" He squeaked out, eyes narrowed and William blinked before raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah?" He said slowly before snapping his fingers. "Oh! You're that kid that I bumped into!"

"And _you_ are a married man who's sneaking around!" Alekai snapped, unable to stop himself.

Vincent frowned and looked back and forth between Alekai and his father before standing up and backing away. "I'm going to go hide out in Allie's room." He mumbled and Olivia sighed, shaking her head.

"You went to MacLaren's again, didn't you?" She chided and William grinned a little, like he was sheepish.

"Maybe?" Olivia narrowed her eyes before opening her mouth, she didn't need to say anything though because a new voice entered the scene.

"Hey, what's all the fuss about Livi?" A man with medium length black hair, tied back in a ponytail, and brilliant blue- red speckled- eyes, walked into the room. He wore a blue shirt that was way too big for him and black skinny jeans. He also had on pretty black rimmed glasses on his pale, freckled face.

Alekai whipped around to look at him, eyes wide, and he was nearly frozen, as the blue eyes locked on his own green.

It was quiet for a few minutes before anyone spoke, "…Kai?"

* * *

><p>They'd just finished dinner, talking about that and something else that Alekai had no idea about, so he'd just stayed quiet and listened, speaking only when asked something. And now Alekai looked the epitome of embarrassed, after hearing Olivia explain the situation with William, her, and the man, who Alekai now realizes is actually his childhood best friend, Levi Prince.<p>

"I'm sorry… I just… I thought…" he stumbled over his words and Olivia laughed, laying a hand on his own.

"Its okay hun, people always think the same thing when they meet my husband," she shot a small look at William who only grinned back at her, "because he's not ever careful with Levi." She sighed dramatically before smiling again and leaning back, looking back and forth between Alekai and Levi, "Anyway, what's the story with you and Levi? How do you know each other?"

"We… um…" Alekai glanced at Levi who had a shit-eating grin on his face, "no, Levi… don't you dare-!" He squeaked in surprise when Levi nearly dragged him from his seat and into his arms, squeezing him like a pet cat.

"Kai-Kai's my boo~!" He cooed, smirking only a little when he saw the small look of jealousy on William's face. "Oh relax William," he chuckled, loosening his grip, though Alekai didn't bother moving, his face just a tiny bit annoyed with a small blush. "Alekai and I were best friends, since birth. We were near inseparable until Alekai's parents found out about our little 'fling'." Alekai sighed at that and shook his head.

"We moved right after that… and I never thought I'd see Vi ever again." He smiled then, looking extremely happy. "Guess I was wrong." He then grinned and flashed a look at Levi, who then blushed. "I never imagined I'd find you with a lover; you always said you weren't ever going to get serious with anyone."

"W-well, that was the old me!" He puffed his cheeks out and Alekai laughed. "What about you, huh Kai? You have anyone?" Alekai blushed, but he smiled, nodding his head.

"Yeah, I do… and I think it might even be… well, I don't know. It's something, I guess." He sighed, shaking his head and Levi tilted his head in question.

"Well, details~" he prodded, poking Alekai in the side and the other vampire squealed, squirming away. Olivia watched with an amused smile and William looked annoyed, though a little less than he was earlier.

"His name is Barney," Alekai stuck his tongue out, "and he is the sweetest man I've ever met."

"Sweeter than me?" Levi pouted, batting his eyelashes and Alekai rolled his eyes, laughing.

"Come on, you can't fool me with that little act," he smirked and Levi grinned in answer.

"I know~"

Conversation picked up after that with William questioning Alekai and Levi about their little 'fling' among other things and Olivia spent most of it trying to get William to understand the concepts of a past relationship and that Levi and Alekai were only best friends. Alekai just rolled his eyes while Levi grinned, each sharing their own little glance.

Eventually Alekai had to go because Barney wanted him home.

He grabbed his jacket and bag and smiled at the three. "Um, thank you for dinner Olivia," he said, giving a little wave. "And um, I'm sorry about…" he trailed and Levi smirked, bouncing up to him and hugging him.

"Don't worry about it Kai~" he cooed and kissed Alekai's cheek.

"Well I…" Alekai sighed and shook his head before smiling again. "Actually, my friends and I hang out at MacLaren's nearly every night, if you guys want, as an apology, you can hang with us tomorrow night? I can introduce you guys and um… drinks are on me, I guess."

"You boys go have fun," Olivia said, smiling apologetically, "I won't be able to go because I have to turn in early for work in the morning."

"I don't know, Alek," William shifted, shrugging his shoulders and Levi pouted, batting his eyelashes.

"_Please_~ I promise I'll be good~!" He teased, trying not to grin and Alekai huffed out a laugh when William rolled his eyes.

"Fine, we'll go. But you better keep your hands to yourself, Prince." William warned, a glint in his eyes and Levi smirked.

"Anything for you, babe~"

Alekai laughed again before risking a peck on Levi's cheek, waving again. "See you then," he then turned to Levi with a fond smile, "bye Vi."

"See ya, Kai."

* * *

><p>"So, you've invited your childhood best friend and his lover to hang with us?" Ted questioned, trying to wrap his head around it as Alekai nodded, drinking some ice water.<p>

"I hope you guys don't mind…" Alekai said, frowning a little, looking like he thought he did something bad.

Barney smirked a little and answered before anyone else could. "Its fine, babe," he said and Alekai smiled, "personally I can't wait to see who your best friend is, he sounds fun."

Alekai bit his bottom lip and ducked his head. "That's… one way to say it." He muttered.

"Kai-Kai~!" Alekai jumped in fright when he was tackled in his seat, Levi's arms wrapped around him and Alekai made a small pained noise in the back of his throat.

"C-can't breathe… Vi, let go…!" He whimpered, and Levi let him go with a small laugh.

"Sorry," he said apologetically and Alekai huffed out a breath. William stood behind the energetic raven, looking annoyed, though a smirk was playing at his lips.

"Come on Levi, you're crowding him… again." He said and Levi stuck his tongue out.

"I don't hear Alekai complaining," he grinned, proving this fact by sitting right beside Alekai in the booth, nearly sitting on his lap and Alekai rolled his eyes, only drinking from his water.

"Am I… missing something?" Robin questioned, and Alekai was almost glad that Lily and Marshal were at home, sleeping, rather than hanging with them because the booth was getting a bit crowded now.

"Sorry," Alekai sighed and looked at his friends. "Robin, Ted, Barney, this is William and Levi." He smiled when he said Levi's name and Levi beamed.

"I'm the best friend, by the way," Levi said in a mock-superior tone and Alekai rolled his eyes again while Barney raised an eyebrow in question, eyeing how _close_ the two seemed to be.

"_Just_ his best friend?" Barney muttered, and Alekai smiled, nodding his head, laying his hand on Barney's own.

"You don't need to worry about it Barney, we um… Levi and I…" he trailed, really unable to put what Levi said last night into words himself.

Turns out he didn't have to, "Me and Kai-Kai used to be a little more, but it's over, I promise. Besides, I have my own boyfriend now. And I assume you're the man Alekai got all flustered over last night?" Barney smirked at that and Alekai blushed, glaring half-heartedly at Levi who looked nothing less than innocent, though Alekai could see the evil underneath.

"Yes, _Vi_," Alekai stressed, sighing, "this is Barney, my… lover…" he blushed again and Barney couldn't help the smile as he leaned down and kissed Alekai, Levi grinning evilly now. Alekai groaned when he saw it, though Levi gave him no chance to say anything before speaking himself.

"Now that the introductions are past, let's get right to the drinks~!" He sang out, ignoring William's stern glare. "Shall we?"

Alekai sighed, just knowing he was going to regret this one of these days, before nodding. "Yeah, Vi, go ahead." He smiled though, because the look on Levi's face was always worth it in the end.

* * *

><p>Next story will be posted when finished.<p>

~The White Wolf, Zero


End file.
